The rise of short-form videos and user-generated content (UGC) has paved the way for a trend-driven ecosystem across organic social media. TikTok has been at the forefront of this evolution, prompting platforms like Instagram to adapt in order to stay relevant—specifically through the introduction of Reels. This shift shows no signs of slowing down: short-form, creator-led content continues to dominate engagement, with Instagram posts featuring UGC delivering 70% more engagement than traditional advertising and TikTok UGC proving 22% more effective than brand-created content.

Trend Culture and the Authenticity Effect

Current trend culture emphasises authentic, low-fi, human led content that focuses on niche interests and engaging topics. New trends emerge in rapid cycles – some lasting just a couple of days, others extending up to three weeks – often influenced by new music, specific sound bites or particular products.

This environment has supported the rise of UGC and micro-influencers as brands can utilise creator content to connect with their community through a more genuine medium. Research shows that 92% of consumers trust UGC content more than traditional marketing and brands that utilise effective UGC have seen a 41% increase in conversion rates. Micro-influencers, in particular, deliver stronger engagement than macro-influencers, averaging 15% on TikTok and 2% on Instagram, thanks to the trust and authenticity they build within their communities.

While trends play a vital role, 46% of consumers value originality – it’s what helps brands stand out and build credibility. Whether through brand-specific storytelling, a unique take on an existing trend, or even starting a new one, originality remains key to lasting engagement.

Nutrisense adapted its influencer strategy with a goal of growing its following to 25,000. By analysing its top-performing ads, the brand briefed influencers to create brand explainer-style UGC videos alongside registered dietitians. This shift in content drove exceptional performance on TikTok, helping Nutrisense grow its following to 130,000 in one year.

Mastering TikTok’s Trend Algorithm

TikTok’s unique algorithm is optimised towards trends being created and personalised feeds. Content distribution is influenced by factors such as watch time, completion rate, speed of engagement, and replay value, alongside broader context like trending sounds, relevant hashtags, and content categorisation. The platform often rewards videos that align with specific communities – such as #booktok as TikTok can easily identify the target audience for this content.

TikTok first content authentic to the platform consistently performs the best, with data showing that high-quality videos can receive 40x the follower growth compared to low-quality uploads. TikTok also accounts for user signals such as the ‘not interested’ button and abandonment rates, which can negatively impact the distribution.

This sophisticated system enables TikTok to identify potentially viral content before mass distribution. Based on this insight, TikTok recommends posting 1–4 times per day to maximise visibility and community growth. While this frequency may be unrealistic for some brands, research suggests that posting 2–5 times per week can still deliver meaningful increases in engagement. Agility remains key. Brands that act quickly on emerging trends are far more likely to capture audience attention before the moment passes.

Cross-Platform Trend Dynamics: Maximising Reach Beyond TikTok

Adapting TikTok trends for Instagram can expand reach and boost engagement through consistent, cross-platform content. Trends typically surface on Instagram shortly after gaining traction on TikTok, meaning that publishing trend-led content to both platforms simultaneously, at the peak of a trend’s popularity, can increase visibility on Instagram by up to 30%, as early adopters often benefit from heightened algorithmic reach.

For strong performance across both platforms, the content should be native to each feed using the platform specific sounds, dimensions and transitions. This ensures that while the trend remains recognisable, the execution resonates within each feed’s culture and user expectations.

Sustaining Organic Growth in a Trend-Driven Social Landscape

To maintain strong engagement within organic social:

  • Post consistently – aim for between 2-5 times per week
  • Create high-quality, platform-native content using each channel’s sounds, formats, and features for optimal performance.
  • Leverage UGC and micro-influencers to build authenticity and trust within the community.
  • Act quickly on relevant trends that align with your brand.
  • Stay flexible and data-informed to evolve with algorithms and audience behaviour.

How we can help you achieve growth with your social media presence

At S&T, we have an organic social and content creator offering, including content planning and strategy, copywriting, influencer and content creator marketing. We can support in finding the right creator for you by working with them directly to meet a brief and deliver a number of assets that the creator or business can post.

From this organic offering we can support through paid social to maintain consistency, optimise engagement and improve performance through both marketing channels. Get in touch with our team today to find out how we can help you boost your organic social presence.